ISTANBUL: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine cannot be solved militarily.
"There is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This war is going to end not through a military solution, but through a diplomatic one, " said the top US diplomat as he arrived in Antalya for an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Rubio further stated that the US hopes that progress will soon be made in the negotiation process, noting the situation around the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict remains complicated.
Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin in the early hours of May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to the Kyiv authorities to resume direct talks suspended in 2022, without preconditions on Thursday in Istanbul.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday said that the Russian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for talks on Ukraine and is ready for serious work.
"As we have already stated, the Russian side is ready to negotiate in earnest. The Russian delegation has arrived in Istanbul and is ready for serious work, " Zakharova said, addressing a news briefing.
"The Russian President proposed restarting those direct talks in Istanbul on May 15 without delay or any preliminary conditions. As the Russian President emphasised, the purpose of these talks is to, direct quote, eliminate the root causes of the conflict, to reach the establishment of a long-term lasting peace for a historical perspective, " she added.
The Russian delegation, headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin. However, Putin has decided to skip the visit.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the talks, which will be held in Istanbul, will be productive.
"Marco (Rubio) is going to be going there, others are going to be going, and we'll see if we can get it done... Very importantly, talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could produce some pretty good results, " he told a bilateral investment forum in Saudi Arabia, without elaborating.
Addressing reporters, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that on Wednesday evening, President Putin held a meeting to discuss arrangements for talks with Ukraine, due to take place in Istanbul.
"Prior to the departure of our delegation for Istanbul last evening, President Putin chaired a meeting on arrangements for upcoming talks with Ukraine, " he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also took to his social media on Wednesday night, stating that he would hold discussions with his team on the format of the Istanbul meeting.
"Today, we held several meetings with the team regarding the format in Turkey. I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing, " Zelensky posted on X.